Hook Wharf | 400 Atlantic Ave | Downtown

I love how everyone complains about the loss of "authenticity" and "grit" in places like Bullfinch Triangle, but then wants the last vestige of actual waterfront industry on the waterfront to disappear.
 
Not to defend the above, but grit belongs where grit belongs.
The main entrance to the city for rail commuters shouldn't be gritty.

I love the old Hook building, but it unfortunately burned down. You can't rebuild that landmark without it being an insult to what was there, so might as well optimize the location in one of the true entrances to the city.

I have no issue with wholesale here, but the logistics might make it next to impossible for large scale operations.

Fish Pier works fine, and it suited for this type of activity. Retail at the existing spot is fine.
 
The chance for grit burned down. An argument could be made for wholesale at that location if this building were intended to replace the original via wrecking ball. But there is no historic preservation issue here, so there is no real need to maintain the vestigial wholesale function in a new building. I would be disappointed if the location lost any connection to lobster, but it won't.
 
davem said:
I love how everyone complains about the loss of "authenticity" and "grit" in places like Bullfinch Triangle, but then wants the last vestige of actual waterfront industry on the waterfront to disappear.
Click to expand...

We have "waterfront industry", but now that the harbor doesn't smell like an open sewer it is fine dining and residential. That is a perfectly reasonable evolution for a city.
 
JeffDowntown said:
We have "waterfront industry", but now that the harbor doesn't smell like an open sewer it is fine dining and residential. That is a perfectly reasonable evolution for a city.
Click to expand...

Newspaper articles in the weeks following the fire indicated that the Hooks were planning on rebuilding the nitty-gritty, while adding a restaurant. No mystery to what likely happened next.
 
I seem to recall some NIMBY buzz about naming the old building a historic structure. Then it burned down. Coincidence?
 
And the inability of Americans to correctly spell the word lose continues in what is supposed to be legitimate press. Thanks interwebs and portable devices.
 
The area by Yankee Lobster is still very gritty.
 
I am having a hard time imagining that this sites floor area is 20,000 sq. ft. This will be an awesome building to watch rise next door.
 
I love the concept ---Hate the Design. Hopefully they recreate the building just with better architecture.

This site does not need parking and I don't see the economics for making it really happen.
 
Here's a good rendering from the PDF for those who don't want to load it all up:

c4qQOS0.jpg


I don't hate the design - could be slightly better but honestly it's pretty nice for the area. And not a (complete) box!
 
There is probably a view from Congress or Summer Street of the Customs House Tower that this blocks, so we probably shouldn't build it.
 
How I wish this was just another 125' taller (i.e. same height as Atlantic Wharf). The statement of the curve facing the harbor would do a lot more to tie in the harborwalk interest to the Fort Point Channel if it was just that much more visible.

Other than that, though, I don't have any hang-ups with the design. And hooray for more waterfront dining!
 
Much of the site sits on pilings, its not even filled land. So they will have to drill shafts through water to support the building. The entrance to the garage also seems to serve as the loading docks for the wholesale operation, so I assume they will restrict wholesale to the early morning hours, and pay a premium on soundproofing.
 
Sorry, can't build it. It might cast a shadow on the "Harbor Tower's greenway park" on January mornings from 7:00am to 7:05am.
 
BostonUrbEx said:
Sorry, can't build it. It might cast a shadow on the "Harbor Tower's greenway park" on January mornings from 7:00am to 7:05am.
Click to expand...

Good point -- that's the critical minutes just after the sun has risen -- very close to the latest "real sunrise" of the year around January 2 -- could be significant to solarastrians
 
whighlander said:
Good point -- that's the critical minutes just after the sun has risen -- very close to the latest "real sunrise" of the year around January 2 -- could be significant to solarastrians
Click to expand...

Only significance to the solar cultists on January 2 is that the sun will not be there between 7:00 and 7:05 AM, --and any shadows on the Greenway will be moot, as will be the Greenway itself, and Hook lobster, and archBOSTON.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top